2011 International Conference on Health Policy Statistics (ICHPS): Advancing Methods to Improve Health Care Specific Aims The International Conference on Health Policy Statistics (ICHPS) 2011: Advancing Methods to Improve Health Care, is a scientific conference that focuses on the interplay between health services research and statistical methodology. Its specific aim is to create an educational and research forum for statisticians, econometricians, psychometricians, and other experts in research methodology to exchange and build upon ideas, discuss research needs, and develop solutions to methodological challenges. The planned sessions examine a broad range of topics that fit very well with the goals of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, especially to promote improvements in the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care by developing, debating and disseminating state-of-the-art research methods. Moreover, in line with the American Statistical Association's recent initiatives to further its efforts at engaging policy makers and other stakeholders in the health policy arena, ICHPS 2011 will focus on quantitative analysis of data related to health services research, particularly health policy issues of national and international importance. The invited program will cover key methodological and technical areas: causal inference, instrumental variables, propensity scores, missing data imputation, heterogeneous effects, random effect and hierarchical models, longitudinal and spatial modeling, meta analysis and evidence synthesis, and novel trial designs. Most importantly, it does so in the context of policy concerns, including comparative effectiveness research (evidence-based care, personalized medicine, group therapy, medical expenditures), provider practice performance (profiling), mental health policy (depression, substance abuse), health information technology (patient reported outcomes and care management), physician prescribing patterns, FDA approval processes, and national health care reform. In addition to invited and contributed sessions, the program will offer workshops intended to provide research training and career development in the methods, resources and applications at the forefront of contemporary health policy research. The conference is sponsored by the American Statistical Association and its Health Policy Statistics Section. Funding will be used to help offset some of the conference costs and reduce the financial burden of attending the conference to encourage broader participation, especially by students and junior researchers. The products of this conference will inform future research, policy and practice and the training of health services researchers. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The International Conference on Health Policy Statistics (ICHPS) 2011: Advancing Methods to Improve Health Care, is a scientific conference that focuses on the interplay between health services research and statistical methodology. Its specific aim is to create an educational and research forum for statisticians, econometricians, psychometricians, and other experts in research methodology to exchange and build upon ideas, discuss research needs, and develop solutions to methodological challenges.